Universities in the United Kingdom must reach out to students from less privileged backgrounds

UK universities wanting to increase tuition fees will have to sign “access agreements” with the new Office of Fair Access (OFFA), an independent body aimed at widening the participation in higher education, education secretary Charles Clarke announced this month.

From 2006 universities will be allowed to introduce variable tuition fees of up to £3000 ($4700; a4400). In this context, the OFFA has to ensure equal opportunities for all students, regardless of their background. Clarke told the BBC: “We must tackle the underachievement of the many young people who come from less advantaged backgrounds, who do not realise their educational potential, and do not benefit from higher education.”

The new office will focus on meeting four conditions: raising students' attainment, raising their aspirations, raising their applications, and ensuring fair admission. Universities whose fees add up to more than £1100 will sign the five year access agreement. This agreement asks them to implement clear strategies reaching out to schools and colleges with various participation rates in higher education. It will also look at how the universities extend bursaries and other financial arrangements.

This new agreement will not interfere with admission policy. “Admissions are a matter of individual universities and will be outside the remit of the OFFA. They should always be on merit, irrespective of class, background, or school attended,” Mr Clarke said.

Statistics show that, although the difference in the acceptance rates of rich and poor students are small, students from less advantaged backgrounds are much more unlikely to apply for top universities. Therefore, Mr Clarke said, universities should act on broadening their range of applications rather than changing their admission systems.

Since universities will probably start looking for plans to bring in students from various backgrounds, BBC News points out that the medical school of Sheffield University already has such a plan.

The Sheffield Outreach and Access to Medicine Scheme was initiated by surgeon Andrew Raftery, the subdean for admissions. The motivation behind it is to widen not only the intake of students but also the selection criteria for the medical profession.

The scheme takes in an initial group of 100 pupils aged 13, selected from schools with low ratings in south Yorkshire. The pupils are introduced to life as a doctor and attend hospital work. A two step selection process designates the 25 pupils that stay in the scheme after the age of 16. This remaining group receives further medial experience and guidelines on university entry requirements.

Twenty places at the medical school in Sheffield are reserved for students participating in the scheme, but admission is not guaranteed--they have to fill all the admission criteria to get in. According to Raftery, the purpose is to bring on those pupils with ability so they can compete on a level playing field.